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BREAKING: Lynn Beyak has resigned from the Senate. As an historian of residential schooling, one less prominent residential school denier in a position of power is a good thing. Full stop. However, her resignation is unsatisfying. Here's why: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/beyak-retirement-1.5886435
After years of Beyak "standing her ground" on residential school denialism and anti-Indigenous racism, Senator Mary Jane McCallum was set to force a vote to expel Beyak NEXT week. Beyak knew she'd get the boot and simply decided to resign so she could collect her benefits.
Moreover, on her way out, she's doubled down on all of her denialist and anti-Indigenous positions, arguing that for the "good" of residential schools to be celebrated and trying to undermine the Truth and Reconciliation Commission etc. She's shown her true colours on the way out
In short, what Beyak wanted MOST was to not face the consequences for her actions. In resigning, she gets that. If she really "stood" by her statements, she would have defended herself in the Senate. Instead, she's chosen a coward's departure. Good riddance.
But Beyak's resignation from the Senate should not be celebrated as the end of residential school denialism. Beyak's behaviour has catalyzed residential school denialism, where bigots and deniers would prefer to just focus on the "positives" of genocidal schooling.
We saw that materialize in the story about the Abbotsford school teacher just recently: https://globalnews.ca/news/7484368/abbotsford-residential-school-positive-homework/
Conservative leader @erinotoole, just last month, was caught on camera coaching alt-right students on the basics of residential school denialism to score cheap political points. Gross: https://pressprogress.ca/erin-otoole-claimed-residential-school-architects-only-meant-to-provide-education-to-indigenous-children/
And earlier this month, a bunch of conservatives put out a ridiculous letter similarly defending Macdonald's role in establishing the residential schooling system, arguing that Canadians should really just focus on the "positives" of a white supremacist, genocidal politician.
So, Beyak took the easy way out and resigned. Good. But the residential school denialism she has catalyzed still needs to be confronted, dismantled and discredited. We still need to fight for the truth in "truth and reconciliation." In fact, we need truth before reconciliation.
